RUSSIA’S NEW LAW RESTRICTING EVANGELISM
(Friday Church News Notes, July 29, 2016, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) -
SEE: http://www.wayoflife.org/friday_church_news/17_31.php; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
The following is excerpted from “Putin Signs,” Forum18.org, July 8, 2016: “Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has signed into law legislation on so-called ‘missionary activity,’ further restricting the public expression of freedom of religion and belief, including in the media and online. The amendment--which has been rapidly introduced--caused widespread protests, but was signed on 6 July and the signing was made public at Moscow lunchtime on 7 July. It was published on the presidential website that day and comes into force on 20 July. Lawyers working to protect the right to freedom of religion and belief are already preparing for an appeal to the Constitutional Court. ... Against international human rights obligations, the amendments to the Religion Law restrict those who can share beliefs to people with permission from members of state-registered religious groups and organisations. This excludes people from groups which have chosen to operate without state permission, such as certain Baptist congregations.
The amendments also bar even informal sharing of beliefs, for example responding to questions or comments, by individuals acting on their own behalf. The amendments also restrict the beliefs that can be shared, specifies a restricted list of places where beliefs may be shared, and explicitly bans any beliefs from being shared in residential buildings, or on another association’s property without permission. An allegedly ‘anti-terrorist’ part of the amendments bars the conversion of residential property to religious use. There are now heavy financial penalties of up to 50,000 Roubles for individuals and up to 1 million Roubles for organisations who violate the amendments. A fine of 50,000 Roubles (about 6,500 Norwegian Kroner, 700 Euros, or 780 US Dollars) represents about six weeks’ average wages for those in work. Maximum fines for organisations would be up to 20 times as much.”
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